Engine starter



0a. 18, 1932. wHiTNEY 1,883,431

ENGINE. STARTER Filed Jan. 31, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3 v a INVENTOK BY Mauricel? Whitney A TTORNEY 1932- M. P. WHiTNEY 1,833,431

ENGINE STARTER I Filed Jan.. 31, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F 7 INVENTORY Maurice P Whitney A TTORNE Y Patented Oct 18,1932

mm) STATES PATENT OFFICE H s KEY, 01' ELM mL, NEW YORK, ASSIGK'OB TO ECLIPSE MACHINE GQHP, F ELIIBA, NEW YORKQ A GOBPORATIGN OF NEW YORK mrennr I srmm Application filed January 81, 1981. Serial No. 512,575.

This invention relates to engine starters and more particularly to an automatic starter pinion shift embodying novelrneans for normeily maintaining the starter pinion in idle position.

i in the operation of automatic starting mechanism in which a pinion is automaticaliy traversed into and out of mesh with a member of the engine to be started, there is some-- times a tendency for the pinion, when thrown out of mesh, to rebound and strikethe side of the engine member with deleterious results. There is also in some installations a tendency, when the engine is running, for the pinion to drift from its idle position due to vibration or other causes, and engage the side of the engine member.

It is an object ofthe present invention to provide a novel and improved device for it is another object of the invention to provide such e device which is efiicient in preventing undesired movement of the pin- 5 ion from idle position, but which does not interfere appreciably with the traversal of the pinion into mesh with the engine member in t 1. 8 starting 0 oration.

Further ob ects and advantages will be aparent to those skilledin this art from the rollowing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a side elevation partly in section an automatic starter shift embodying one form of the present invention; 7

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in driving position;

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on i the line 7-7 of Fig. 5; showing the restrain.

mg elementsin operative position; and

onposing rebound and/or'drifting of the.

the line 33 of Fig. 1 showing the parts in back out of mesh.

Fig. 8 is a detail in perspective showing one element of the retaining means.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1, a .power member in the form of a starter shaft 10 which may be driven from any suitable source of power such as y means 7 shaft by bolts 15 and 16 respectivel The meshing position of pinion 11 is de ned by suitable means such as a stop nut 17 threaded on the end of sleeve 13, and when in idle position, the ends of the threads 1 in the pinion abut against shoulders 18 formed at the ends of the threads on said sleeve.

In order to normally retain the pinion 11 in idle position, means may be provided such as an anti-drift spring 19 arranged between the pinionand the stop nut 17 The pinion is preferably counterbored as shown at 21 and a stepped thrust ring 22 is arranged to extend into said counterbore and form a hearing for the end of the pinion. The thrust ring 22, or the stop nut 17 or both are formed to provide a recess 23 for the spring 19 when the parts are in driving position as shown in it will be understood that in the operation of this device to start an engine, acceleration of the shaft 10 and sleeve 13 by the starting motor in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1 will cause the pinion 11, by reason of its rotational inertia, to he moved over into mesh with the engine member 12. When thismovement is arrested by the stop nut 17, the, pini in is constrained to rotate with the sleeve IB/and crank the engine, and when the engine' becomes self-operative, the acceleration of the engine member 12 causes the pinion to overrun the sleeve 13 and thus be thrown According to the present invention, in order to prevent the pinion 11, when so thrown out, from bounding back and striking the en ine member, a recess 24 is'formed in the sur ace of the sleeve 13 and a plunger 26 is mounted to slide radially in said pinion.

are pivoted as at 31 to said pinion and arranged to bear at one end 32 on the head 28 of plunger 26. The pivots 31 are arranged sufciently near the ends 32 so that when the inion is rotated rapidly the free ends of the evers will fly outward i under centrifugal force and cause the ends 32 of the levers to force the plunger 26 inwardly as shown in n operation, when the pinion is demeshed by the starting of'the engine, the rapid rotation of the pinion causes the free ends of the centrifugal levers 29 to fi outwardly whereupon the ends 32 thereof engage the plunger 26 and press it positively against the sleeve 13. When the pinion reaches its idle position, the plunger 26 will thereupon be forced by said levers into the recess 24 thus locking the pinion in idle position and reventing the possibility of its rebounding mto engagement with the engine member 12. When the operator opens the starting motor circuit and rotation of the starter shaft ceases, the spring 27 retracts the plunger 26 to its normal posltion as illustrated in-Fig.v

1, and the pinion is retained in idle position only by the anti-drift spring 19. In t e embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fi 5 to '8 inclusive, a centrifugally controller? lunger is arranged to perform both the rebound checking function of the plunger 26 and the anti-drift function of the sprin 19. As there illustrated, the shaft 10, pinion 11, engine member 12, threaded sleeve 13 and drive spring 14 are arranged as previously described. A shallow groove 124 is formed in the surface of the shaft 10 at the idle position'of the pinion 11 and a plun er 126 is mounted to slide radially in the pinion 11 and provided with a head 128 adapted to engage said groove. A spring 127 is arranged on the stem of said plunger between the head 128 and a cap member 130 and is adapted to yieldably urge the head of said plunger into the groove 124 when the pinion is in idle positio A pair of levers 129 are pivoted to the pinion at 131 adjacent said cap 130, and so arranged that the ends 132 of said levers bear on the cap 130 and a ply pressure thereto when the free ends 0 the levers 129 move gutwardly under the action of centrifugal orce.

The operation of. this embodiment of the invention is substantially similar to that previously described. Rotation of the starter shaft 10 willcause traversal of the pinion 11 into engagement with the en 'ne member 12, the inertia of the pinion being sufiicient to overcome the frictional effect of plunger 126 in the groove 124 under the influence only of spring 127.

When the engine becomes self-operative, the pinion 11 overruns the shaft 10 and is thrown back to idle osition. At this time, the rapid rotation o? the inion causes the centri ugal layers 129 to orce the plunger 126 against the shaft and into the groove 124 when registry therewith occurs, whereby the pinion is prevented from bounding back from its idle position. When the motor shaft stops, the centrifugal levers 129 are moved back to their normal positionwithin the contour of the pinion 11 by the sprin 127, and said s ring continues to urge t e p unger 126 into t e groove 124 with a pressure suflicient to form an effective detent and prevent drifting of the pinion toward the engine member 12.

Although certain embodiments of the invention have been described in" detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise constructions shown and that various changes may be made in the details thereof and equivalent devices substituted therefor without degnarting from the spirit of the invention as de appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In an en 'ne starter, a power member, a driving mem r, means actuated by the power member for moving the driving member into and out of engagement with a member of the en no to be started, means on said driving mem r for opposing movement of the drivin member toward driving position, and centrifugal means mounted on said drived in the claims ing member for actuating said opposing,

means.

2. In an engine starter, a power member, a driving member actuating means driven by the ower member for moving the driving mem r into and out of engagement with a member of the en said driving mem er for engaging said actuating means, to oppose movement of the driving member toward driving position and-centrifugal means mounted on said driving member for forcing said opposing means against said actuating means.

3. In an engine starter, a power member, a driving member actuating means driven by the ower member for moving the driving mem er into and out of engagement with a member of an engine to be started, said actuating means having a depression in its surne to be started, means on centrifugal means for forcing said detent into j said depression,

4. An engine starter including a power shaft, a sleeve driven thereby. a pinion threaded on said sleeve for autonmtic traversal into and out of mesh with ameniber of an engine to be started, said sleeve having a recess therein at the idle positlon of said pinion, a plunger slidably mounted in said pinion formed to engage said recess and centrifugal I means on said pinion for'pressing said plunger into said recess.

5. In an engine starter, a power member, a hollow actuating shaft driven thereby, a driving member mounted on said hollow shaft for automatic traversal into and out of engagement with a member of an engine to be started, said hollow shaft having a locking opening in its surface at the idle position of said driving member, said driving member having a. detent adapted to engage said opening and prevent movement of the driving member into engagement with the engine member, and centrifugal means on said driving memberfor moving said detent into said opening. I

6. An engine starter including a power shaft, a threaded sleeve, drivingmeans connecting said shaft and sleeve, a driving pinion threaded thereon for automatic movement into and out of mesh with a member of an engine to be started, said sleeve having a locking opening therein at the idle position of said pinion, a plunger in said pinion formed to engage said opening, yielding means for norabl maintaining said pinion in idle position, an centrifugal means on said pinion for positively forcing said plunger into said groove.

9. In an engine starter, a power member, a driving member, means actuated by the power member for moving the driving member into and out of engagement with a member of an engine to be started, means for opposing movement of the driving member toward driving position, .and centrifugal means for bringing said opposing means into effective action. I

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

MAURICE P. WHITNEY.

mally retracting said plunger, and centrifugal means on said pinion for pressing said plunger into said opening.

7 An engine starter including a power shaft, a driving pinion movably mounted thereon to mesh with a member of an engine to be started, means for automatically shifting the pinion into and out of mesh with the engine member, means for 'yieldably' maintaining said pinion in idle "position, and means controlled by the rotation of said pinion for positively locking the same in idle position.

8. An engine starter including a power shaft, an actuating sleeve driven thereby,"a driving pinion mounted thereon to mesh: with a member of tne engine to be started, said pinion and sleeve having means for automatically shifting the pinion into and out of-mesh with the engine member, said sleeve having a shallow groove therein at the idle position of said pinion, a plunger in' said pinion formed to engage said groove, yielding means for urging the plunger into said groove for yieldion 

